I Have Issues – Week 3

Contentment

– My name is Jordan Worship & Spiritual Growth Pastor here // We are on Week 3 of our I Have Issues
Series (Overwhelmed, Anxiety) and we’re so glad you’re here (Our lead pastor Chris is speaking at a
church in Springfield MO)

– Have you ever had a co-worker get the promotion you were hoping for?
– Have you ever experienced that friend from college that got the kind of house that you’ve been
dreaming of?
– Do you have a friend that seems to never age?
– How about the senior 18-year-old neighborhood kid who drives a better car than you? (Get REAL: Have
you ever thought I should have my loved one back not them?
– Losing my mom, Mother’s Day is great, but just weird, great with Kirsten and my mother in-law, but weird because
Mom’s gone
– How do I find contentment when my dream doesn’t become a reality? (marriage, being a mother
or father, financially free, etc)

– What real feelings does contentment bring to our lives? Joy, peace, optimistic, hopeful, thankful
(You say and believe things like: I love our friends, I love this house (may cause me stress at times but I
love it) I love my job, I love my relationship with Jesus, I love my spouse, I love my kids
Etc…EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

– What real feelings does discontentment bring to our lives? Stress, pessimistic, unsatisfied, woe is
me card
–
– Throughout this series we’re NOT asking you to be perfect in every issue we cover, that’s not realistic
right? We like to say around here “it’s ok not to be ok, it’s just not ok to stay that way” so let’s
simply trust Jesus and improve from where we were.

3 Primary Killers of Your Contentment

1) COMPARISON

– Whatchamacallit. (how bad did it have to be to give it this name? lol) (thinking woe is me I have this
Whatchamacallit type lifestyle) vs Snickers (thinking you deserve or desire that your neighbors have
this Snickers type lifestyle
–
– Ecclesiastes 4:4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their
neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

2) CHASING MORE (Starter home to Mansion)
Ecclesiastes 4:8 – This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard
to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so
much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
– How do we crush discontentment in our lives? (read what Paul wrote and sympathize with him..he has
genuine contentment because he knows Christ…that’s the same opportunity for you and me)
Philippians 3:7-9 – But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count
everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Philippians 4:11-13 – Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to
be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I
have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him
who strengthens me.

3) COMPROMISE
– pg 36 CN book: “Far to many of us end up compromised: who we are no longer aligns with who
we had hoped to be. And it happens so subtly that most of the time we don’t even know it’s
going on.”
–
– Idiom to use in the message somewhere: “Smoke and Mirrors” – The use of illusion. Sentence: Don’t
believe everything Mary says about her lifestyle. A lot of it is just Smoke and Mirrors. She likes to
impress people (Have you ever wondered what your friends say about you when you’re not in the
room? Hopefully not this right? Lol) Again not chasing perfection but chasing Jesus

3 Action Steps: (How do you gain Godly contentment?)

1) Read the Bible – You-version plans: winning the war in the mind and Gods already given you an A+

2) Don’t do it alone – pg 41 “No matter how hard you try, you can’t escape You.” When you go on
vacation and you think it’s gonna be perfect you know why it’s not perfect cause you’re there! You know
why this car won’t satisfy cause you’re in it (Small groups, spending time with those who push you
closer to Jesus) We have seen God save 7 people in that last 5 weeks (play baptism video)
– What does true Contentment look like: “Contentment doesn’t come from chasing your dreams; it
comes from chasing the one who gave you the ability to dream.”

3) Sticky Notes –
– ROMANS 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.
– Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
–
– GRATITUDE STATEMENTS: We are not called to be perfect, but to trust the perfect One //
Not chasing perfection but chasing Jesus.